DT Swiss GRC 1400 Dicut 30 review: my new benchmark gravel wheelset 

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DT Swiss revamped its gravel-wheel platform in May 2024, with the GRC 1400 Dicut 30 sitting in the middle of the three-tier range.

The brand claims the GRC 1400 Dicuts are designed to make light work of unpredictable trails while having a speed advantage on smoother terrain, thanks to their 30 or 50mm rim depths.

On test is the 30mm variant and they’ve proven to be brilliant all-rounders in all conditions, deftly balancing climbing prowess, compliance and control on rough terrain. I struggle to think of a better carbon gravel wheelset at the £2,000 price point.

DT Swiss GRC 1400 Dicut wheelset details and specifications

The new range represents the first time DT Swiss has updated its gravel bike wheelsets since 2019.

There are now five wheelset options – the GRC 1100 Dicuts at the top of the tree, followed by the GRC 1400 Dicuts. Both lines are available in 30mm or 50mm rim depths.

A new HGC 1400 Spline wheelset sits below, which is designed specifically for electric gravel bikes, with its more robust hub and higher rear-wheel spoke count. It’s only available in a 30mm rim depth.

DT Swiss says the 30mm hooked carbon rims are optimised for providing agility for adventure riding or bikepacking, whereas the 50mms are aero-optimised for faster gravel racing.

All of the carbon rims share the same 24mm internal rim width, which is progressive but not to the extent of the 25mm measurement of the Fulcrum Sharq, or the boundary-pushing 32mm internal width of the new Zipp 303 XPLR wheels.

Still, DT Swiss recommends a 30mm to 62mm gravel bike tyre width range.

While the 30mm variant gets a 31mm external width, the 50mm beefs things out further to 36.5mm.

A neat detail is that the rims come out of the mould thanks to a new patented manufacturing process that eliminates the need for lacquer, with the brand using water-transfer graphics.

There are two differences between the GRC 1100 and 1400 wheels. Firstly, the spendier 1100s step up to an über-Gucci DT Swiss 180 hub and its ceramic bearings, whereas the 1400s get the revered 240.

Although the 240 hub is marginally heavier, it’s one of the best-regarded hubs among wheel builders for its performance, reliability and ease of securing spares, and we’ve always rated it highly.

The other difference is the spokes – the GRC 1100s get DT’s Aerolite II spokes, whereas the GRC 1400s get DT Aero Comps.

The Aerolite II spokes are claimed to have a 35 per cent wider profile for an aerodynamic advantage and are also 23 per cent thinner.

Many high-end DT Swiss wheels use internal spoke nipples and that carries over to the GRC 1400 Dicut. You’ll therefore need to remove the rim tape every time you want to true the wheel.

DT Swiss claims the wheelset weighs 1,431g with a Shimano Microspline freehub. I weighed my test set in at 1,487g (680g front, 807g rear with a SRAM XDR freehub).

That’s slightly more than a 100g penalty over the GRC 1100s, which are claimed to weigh 1,350g in their 30mm depth with an unspecified freehub.

The wheels can be purchased with Shimano HG and Microspline, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo N3W freehub bodies.

Initial checks

I took some initial measurements of both wheels on a DT Swiss Wheel Truing Stand. Both fared excellently.

The lateral true for the front wheel was within 0.06mm, whereas the radial true was 0.15mm on my feeler gauge.

The rear fared very similarly – 0.13mm out laterally and 0.09mm radially.

For reference, the tolerance according to British Standard BS 6102 is 4mm for a disc-brake rim, but I would expect a well-built wheel to be well within 0.5mm.

Both wheels were perfectly dished (how central the rim is over the hub) and I found the tensions to be equal too.

The front wheel’s non-driveside spokes were all within 130-140kfg, perfectly matching the rear’s driveside spokes (these are the sides that bear the brunt on either wheel).

All of the front wheel’s driveside spokes and rear wheel’s non-driveside spokes were between 80-90kgf, bar one rogue spoke on the rear, which was in the high 70s.

Tyre installation

I installed the wheels onto a 3T Extrema Italia gravel bike with 2in Continental Race King tyres. The tyres were very easy to install, without needing to use tyre levers and set up tubeless with a track pump on the first attempt, bulging out to 50.89mm at 24psi / 1.65 BAR.

I then installed a set of 50mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M tyres. These were more involved to install and required tyre levers, but I’ve also experienced this when setting these particular tyres up on my Campagnolo Shamal wheels. They measured slightly narrower at 50.02mm at the same pressure

For reference, both tyres were set up tubeless with Muc-Off tyre sealant. 

DT Swiss GRC 1400 Dicut wheelset performance

The GRC 1400 Dicuts were tested both on and off-road across a vast spectrum of surfaces.

They were also on duty for Badlands, an 800km gravel ultra-endurance race in Spain with overall elevation in excess of 16,000m.

Appearances first and the wheels have a smart but unassuming aesthetic, distinctly like a DT Swiss wheel with their fairly minimalist branding. The lacquer-free finish isn’t quite as beautiful as the C-Lux finish on a Campagnolo wheel, for instance, but they pair well with the svelte 240 hubs.

I quickly settled on running 23psi in the front and 25psi out back with both tyres for my current 74kg weight, running slightly higher pressures when the bike was fully loaded for Badlands.

I particularly appreciated the lively climbing quality on some of the more technical ascents in Spain, when overtiredness usurped my concentration, and they’re quick to correct a line if you make a mistake.

When descending, the GRC 1400 Dicut 30s rarely became fazed on all of the sandy, rocky and twisty (often all three) Badlands descents they were subjected to.

While the wheels aren’t designed specifically for compliance, the ride quality they offer is a nice balance between a purposeful stiffness for acceleration and not beating you up.

It goes without saying that the 240 hubs are a highlight of the package. They required no maintenance during the test period and the bearings still feel like new, with plenty of factory grease left.

Rather than pawls and springs, the 240 uses DT Swiss’ Star Ratchet system.

Freehub swaps are easy – simply pull off the end cap by hand and then replace the freehub. The freehub was reassuringly loud on my test wheels, but you can quieten it down if you wish by using some of the brand’s Star Ratchet Special Red Grease.

You can also upgrade the Ratchet EXP 36 to a 54-tooth star ratchet for €94.99.

The only real downside of these wheels is you can expect slightly higher costs when it comes to wheel truing because the tyre and rim tape will need to be removed every time. However, speaking from experience and the excellent build quality on this set, it will be a long time before you get to that point.

While the GRC 1400s aren’t cheap, they represent good value. They’re light and perform adeptly in all respects – I can’t think of a better and more reliable all-rounder for the money.

The Fulcrum Sharqs sport a 1mm greater internal rim width and excel in crosswinds, but are not especially compliant, nor do they accelerate as willingly. They’re more expensive too, at £2,289 / $2,807 / €2,460. 

Campagnolo’s Levante wheels are a great option if you want to save some cash, costing £1,350 / $1,755 / €1,620 / AU$2,363. They’re a little heavier at 1,513g, but have an identical 30mm rim depth paired with a 25mm internal width and the slight weight penalty will be worth the £650 saving for many. 

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DT Swiss GRC 1400 Dicut wheelset bottom line 

DT Swiss’ GRC 1400 Dicut wheels are a brilliant update to an already impressive platform. If you’re after all-rounder, lightweight carbon gravel hoops and you have the cash, it’s hard to overlook these.

With their proven 240 hub and robust build quality, they maintain DT Swiss’ typically reliable reputation without any showy bells and whistles.

Considering they’re a touch over 100g heavier, they’re also likely the more sensible pick than their spendier GRC 1100 Dicut siblings, where the performance benefits of the upgraded 180 hub and fancier spokes will be harder to detect.

They have become my new benchmark gravel wheelset.

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